Geographic Programs - Columbia River Basin Restoration (CRBR) Program

To support the protection and restoration of the Columbia River Basin, Congress established the Columbia River Basin Restoration Program (CRBRP) per Clean Water Act Section 123, implemented by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). CRBRP promotes ecosystem protection and restoration activities and strategies by working with federal agencies, states, tribes, regional water pollution control agencies and entities, local governments, non-governmental entities and soil and water conservation districts to improve water quality and support environmental protection and restoration. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) is being used to fund additional cooperative agreements throughout the Columbia River Basin for toxic reduction projects. The Columbia River Basin Restoration Program is grounded in statutory direction to assess trends in water quality, as well as to collect, characterize, and assess data on water quality to identify possible causes of environmental problems; administer a grant program; and establish the Columbia River Basin Restoration Working Group. In accordance with Clean Water Act Section 123, the Program provides grants for projects that assist in eliminating or reducing pollution, cleaning up contaminated sites, improving water quality, monitoring to evaluate trends, reducing runoff, protecting habitat, or promoting citizen engagement or knowledge.